Gary Stead to Step Down from White-Ball Coaching Role; Future in Test Format Uncertain:

New Zealand men’s cricket team head coach Gary Stead has announced that he will step away from coaching in white-ball formats and will take some time to consider whether he wants to continue leading the Test team. His current contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) expires in June 2025.

Appointed in 2018 after Mike Hesson’s resignation, Stead’s tenure has seen notable achievements including New Zealand winning the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and securing a historic 3-0 ODI series victory against India in India.

Taking Time to Reflect

In a statement, Stead shared that he is looking forward to a break from the rigorous touring schedule.

"My focus has been on finishing the season strongly with a lesser experienced team. The past six to seven months has been particularly busy with relatively non-stop cricket action since September," he said.

Stead emphasized that while he still has more to contribute to the sport as a coach, he is not inclined to continue in an all-formats capacity.

"I now want to evaluate my options... I’ll be in a better position to know whether I want to reapply for the Test coaching position after this time of reflection," he added.

NZC Open to Split or Sole Coaching Roles

Bryan Stronach, NZC’s Chief High Performance Officer, acknowledged Stead’s achievements and expressed understanding regarding his need for time.

“Gary’s results have been very impressive over a long period and we’re very comfortable giving him some time to collect his thoughts,” said Stronach.

He also clarified that NZC is currently undecided about whether they will adopt a split-coaching approach or continue with one head coach for all three formats.

“We’re unlikely to be clearer on that until we see who’s putting their name forward,” Stronach added.

Coaching Position to Be Advertised Soon

According to NZC, the official job advertisements for the head coaching position will be released within the next week. The final decision will depend on the pool of candidates and the structure that best fits New Zealand's international cricket calendar moving forward.